Although there are hundreds of female musicians, very few orchestras have female directors and conductors

Prejudice and hostile attitudes keep the upper echelons of classical music off-limits to many women, arts chief Jude Kelly has said.

The top of the profession is still “a place of too great an absence for women”, she said.

“Women still tell me they find orchestras can be hostile, can undermine them deliberately, that executive directors can be sceptical.”

Ms Kelly said deliberate decisions to promote female talent had to be taken.

“This is not about women doing it for themselves,” she said. “It’s about chaps who run orchestras and people who run music colleges getting behind women.”

“People tend to appoint in their own image. It’s a tendency of men to support other, younger men and feel paternalistic towards them.

Jude Kelly has been artistic director of the Southbank Centre since 2005

“We have to encourage them to support women.”

Ms Kelly is the artistic director of the Southbank Centre, and was speaking at the launch of the institution’s 2014 – 15 season.

The programme is themed around contemporary classical music, including a four-month percussion festival and an adaptation of The Pied Piper of Hamlin from War Horse author Michael Morpurgo.

Daniel Barenboim will perform Schubert’s Piano Sonatas, while Sir Simon Rattle will lead an orchestra of children and amateur musicians at the Southbank’s Clore Ballroom.

Harrison Birtwistle is to premiere a new work to celebrate his 80th year, while Rachmaninoff’s complete symphonies and piano concertos will be performed in the Rachmaninoff: Inside Out series.

The season will also include work by several female composers including Stevie Wishart and Anna Clyne, as well as performances by leading female soloists Lisa Batiashvili (violin), Martha Argerich and Mitsuko Uchida (piano).